Six Years Ago
“Hansel,” Gretel breathed her brother’s name softly, as to not disturb the natural sounds of the forest. “I’m hungry…” Her brother gave her a saddened look, and reached out to gingerly take her hand in his. Giving it a slight squeeze, he spoke louder than his sister as he was less afraid.
“Me too… But we should reach town soon.” The lie rolled off his lips naturally. He knew the closest town would take until nightfall to reach, but Gretel didn’t need to know that. If only they had started their journey earlier in the day, then perhaps they would have stood a chance against the setting sun. But it had been well into the afternoon when their father had grabbed them both by the arm and pulled them out of the house shouting.
“Good for nothings. Wastes of space. We’re better off without you.”
The twins had been cast out into the woods to fend for themselves with nothing but Hansel’s pocket knife for protection. As the duo walked along the overgrown path, they stayed as close to the middle as they could, afraid that something would reach out of the thickness of the woods and gobble them up.
The woods seemed more sinister when they were on their own. Not nearly as peaceful as when they would go berry picking with their mother, or hunting with their father. This time the forest was darker, hungrier, and filled to the brim with unseen monsters. A sudden rumble echoed through the woods, causing Gretel to jump back.
“It’s okay,” Hansel assured her. “It was just my belly.”
Perhaps it was her nerves, but Gretel giggled hysterically at the revelation. Hansel, caught up in the moment, couldn’t help but laugh along too.
Suddenly the forest grew quiet as their laughter subsided. The silence screamed at them as the colorful sky above grew darker. The twins huddled together in fear of the growing darkness.
“We need to hurry,” Gretel pressed.
Hansel nodded, took his sister’s hand once again, and ran along the dirt road. As he ran, Hansel payed no heed to where he placed his feet. His foot got caught on something protruding from the ground. Letting out a scream and arms flailing, Hansel hit the ground. Gretel nearly came crashing down beside him.
“Ow…” He complained, looking down at the scrapes on his hands.
“Are you okay?” Gretel fretted, taking her brother’s hands to examine them. “You need to be more careful.”
Hansel whimpered and look angrily to the object that tripped him. It appeared to be an old sign of some sorts. Old and dust covered, there wasn’t much that could be out on it. Hansel wiped away some of the dust to reveal a collection of letters. Wicche. Hansel studied it for a moment before shrugging it off and rising to his feet.
“Let’s go.”
He took Gretel’s hand once again and hurried through the growing shadows which contorted into monstrous shapes against the trees, surrounding them.
Eventually, night had fallen and the howling of wolves had overtaken the eerie silence that had settled in.
“Hansel…” Gretel whimpered, shrinking behind her brother. “I think we’re lost.”
Hansel didn’t want to admit it to his sister, but she was right. They were horribly lost.
“We’ll be okay,” Hansel said both to himself and Gretel. “We just need to walk through the night. We’ll find town by morning. And maybe there we’ll find someone to take us in.” It was truly wishful thinking that someone out there had room for two disowned children. But it was faint hope that kept the twins moving through the thorny path that laid ahead.
What had felt like hours passed, and Gretel was trembling like a leaf under a toxic mix of fear and cold. Hansel yearned to help his sister, but there was nothing he could do for her except keep her moving. The twins were certain that death awaited them in the woods, but suddenly Gretel spotted a glimmer of light through the thickness of the branches.
“Hansel,” she faintly whispered. “Look.” She pointed to the yellow glow.
“Someone else must be out here,” Hansel grinned. Whoever it was might been willing to help them. Or maybe they had food they were willing to share. His stomach growled at the thought. Determined and filled to the brim with hope, Hansel and Gretel pushed their way through the thicket and were greeted by the shape of a small cottage with a candle burning in it’s window. The sight was a treat to their sore, shaky bodies, and they quickly made their way to the door of the cottage, both praying that whoever lived inside was still awake.
Hansel gave Gretel a questioning look before he rapped on the door with his fist. At first, there was no response to the knock, and hope seemed to vanish as quickly as it came. But then there was a rustle behind the door.
Hearts pounding in their chests, the twins waited as they heard someone on the other side fumble with a lock. The door opened to reveal a young woman with wavy auburn hair, pale skin, and the most exotic green eyes that almost seemed to glow in the light of the candle she held. Her pale pink lips parted in surprise at the sight of two children waiting at her doorstep.
“Oh my,” she breathed. “Are you two lost?”
At her words, both children were unable to contain themselves. Tears welled up in their eyes and spilled over their cheeks. The woman smiled gently and ushered the two children into her home.
Once the door was shut behind them, the woman introduced herself.
“I am Silvia.”
The twin who was the least emotional happened to be Hansel, so he took over introducing he and his sister.
“We’re Hansel and Gretel Grimm,” He swallowed back tears and tried to remain strong. Gretel held onto her brother and refused to let go. Despite Silvia’s kindness, she was still scared to be in an unfamiliar place.
Silvia seemed to sense Gretel’s uneasiness and gave her a gentle smile.
“What are two children like you doing wandering in the woods this late at night?”
Hansel shivered at the memory.
“Our father kicked us out, ma’am,” Gretel whimpered. “He said there were too many mouths to feed… and-and that everyone would starve if we stayed.” Gretel hiccuped through her tears.
“How cruel,” Silvia placed a hand against her chest. “To think someone would drive out such innocent children.” Her woe lasted for a few moments before she looked over the children once again. “How about I whip up a quick meal for you both and then off to bed.”
That was music to the twins’ empty stomachs.
Silvia cooked quickly, spinning around her kitchen like a top as she prepared the meal. Gretel watched her with amazement while Hansel looked about the cottage. It was small and quaint, boasting few decorations. There was a small sitting area near the kitchen with a plush couch which the twins sat upon.
Soon, dinner had been finished and the twins moved to sit at Silvia’s small table to fill their growling stomachs. They didn’t talk at first, they were too preoccupied with shoveling food into their mouths. Silvia watched them eat with a small smile on her full lips.
“Thank you,” Gretel said, remembering her manners.
Hansel mutely nodded in agreement, food spilling out of his mouth.
Silvia merely laughed cheerfully. “Eat as much as you’d like.”
The twins took her words to heart and ate two helpings each, filling themselves to the maximum their stomachs could take.
Gretel felt a smile play on her lips as she leaned back in the chair, a sudden wave of drowsiness falling over her.
“Hansel..?” She whispered weakly to her brother as the drowsiness grew heavier.
Hansel looked over to his sister with tired eyes, which widened at once with understanding. They had been poisoned.
With heavy eyes, the twins began to slip into the darkness.
“Good night,” Silvia hissed through the curtain of darkness.
***
Tap tap.
Gretel groaned as she began to stir, wondering what was making that noise.
Tap tap.
She groggily opened her eyes to stare up at Silvia’s kitchen ceiling. As she tried to move, she realized that her body was paralyzed. Horror flashed across her face as she moved her eyes to see Hansel lying beside her, also laid out on the kitchen floor.
“Hah-hansel,” she whispered through clumsy lips.
Tap tap.
She looked over towards the source of the noise to see that Silvia was standing at her kitchen counter, chopping something with a large knife. Fear shot through Gretel’s body and she looked back to her brother.
“Hansel,” she whispered urgently.
“Y-yeah?” Hansel responded hoarsely.
“What’s going on… I can’t… move…” Gretel tried to move her arms but they felt heavy as bricks and remained useless beside her.
“Silvia…” Hansel groaned. “She… must have…”
“Poisoned you?” A female voice chirped. Fear shot through the twins as they looked up to see Silvia standing above them, brandishing a large carving knife. “That I did.”
“Why?” Hansel whimpered, unable to tear his gaze away from the knife.
“Why?” Silvia laughed but this time her laugh was cruel and cold. “Because I’m going to have myself the most delicious stew! And luckily for me, the main ingredients showed up at my front door.”
Suddenly all the horror stories whispered under the covers came back to the twins. Stories of witches that lured in children with food then devoured them sung in their ears. They were going to die.
The twins tried to twist and turn under the knife, but to no avail. All they were able to do was lay there useless like two slabs of steak. Silvia watched them struggle with glee, salivating at the sight of her next meal. She grinned widely, showcasing a set of razor sharp teeth that would be able to cut through flesh without the assistance of a knife.
Bang!
Suddenly a gunshot ran through the area and Silvia jerked backwards, the bullet entering her shoulder. The witch growled, baring her teeth and her eyes flashing a deep red. She looked around for the intruder and ran out of sight of the twins. They heard a loud hiss followed by a few more gunshots that left their ears ringing. Trembling with fear, the twins laid there, wondering who the mysterious gunner was and what had happened to the witch that had made plans to devour them.
After a few moments of silence, there was the sound of footsteps approaching. And within seconds, a new face stared down at the twins. Black hair and green eyes, smooth skin, and a smooth features. But Hansel and Gretel could not really tell if the person was male or female based on looks alone.
“Are you alright?” the person asked in a gender neutral voice.
“Yeah,” Gretel squeaked.
“Who are you?” Hansel demanded.
The person smiled.
“My name is Dorothy, I’m a witch hunter employed by the Ministry of Defense Against the Macabre. I’m here to save you.”
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